Sen. Brandon Beach named GAB Legislator of the Year

ATLANTA — Sen. Brandon Beach (R-Alpharetta) received the Legislator of the Year award from the Georgia Association of Broadcasters on Friday, June 6, in Atlanta.

“I was honored to sponsor the Georgia First Informer Broadcasters Act this legislative session,” Beach said. “This bill facilitates resources by recognizing the dangerous work our local broadcasters take on during emergency situations while in the field. I am thankful for this recognition from the Georgia Association of Broadcasters and look forward to continuing to nurture this relationship with their prestigious organization.”

Beach was recognized for his sponsorship of Senate Bill 381, known as the Georgia First Informer Broadcasters Act, which was signed into law in April. S.B. 381 will advise the unified incident command system and the Georgia Emergency Operations Plan (GEOP) to establish planning for first informer broadcasters while also granting more access to fuel, food, water and other materials necessary for maintaining a broadcast signal by July 1, 2016.

“Sen. Beach’s efforts on behalf of Georgia’s broadcasters directly led to the passage of this bill, which ensures Georgia’s radio and television stations will remain crucial providers of information during times of emergency,” said GAB President Bob Houghton.